Arthur Finds Some Georgia Redemption

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Walker Arthur was within five laps of victory on Friday afternoon at Golden Isles Speedway, but a mechanical issue reared its ugly head and it got away.

Arthur got even with fate on Saturday night when he drove the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Special to a wire-to-wire win in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 50-lap main event.

Even though Arthur led all 50 laps of the Super Bowl of Racing Presented By Rock Auto.com finale at Golden Isles Speedway, it wasn’t a runaway. Mack McCarter turned up the wick on his CVR Race Cars House Car and put late race pressure on Arthur to the checkered flag.

“This win makes up for the frustration of yesterday afternoon because with the competition in the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series has, this is a very special win in my career,” Arthur said. “Mack and I are good friends, and his crew was signaling me that he was coming. At least I knew if it came down to battle at the end of the race, it would be a clean battle because Mack is a friend and a good driver.”

McCarter fell two car lengths short at the end and had to settle for second, which was his career best with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. With drivers counting their best two out of three point totals for the weekend, the two friends Arthur and McCarter are now locked in a battle for the series point lead towards the $20,000 championship.

Even though Ray Cook leads the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point standings after a win and a third-place finish to total 194 points, the super late model pilot will not run the full season. Arthur is second to Cook with 192 points and McCarter is third with 188 points.

Chase Edge charged from the 16th starting spot and drove the Edge’s Gas Company Special to a third-place finish. Mark Whitener literally and figuratively turned the race upside-down to finish fourth in the Dave’s Towing Special. Whitener was involved in a multi-car tangle in turn two on a lap five restart, and flipped his race car in the melee. After the car landed on its wheels, Whitener fired it up and drove away to line up for the restart.

Josh Adkins finished fifth in the Yellow Hammer Construction Special and Ben Faircloth was sixth in the CTH Rocket. Robert Diekemper drove the Baird Transport Special to a seventh-place finish and Chris Noah was the Rookie of the Race after an eighth-place effort in the Old Man’s Garage Special.

Cecil Eunice finished ninth in the Ace Pole Company Special and Donald Brasher rounded out the top ten in the Mega Plumbing Rocket. In preliminary action, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racer Joey Coulter was the fast qualifier among the 36 entrants with a lap around the four-tenths-mile clay oval in 16.848 seconds in the Wolfpack Racing Rocket.